Father Figure
by Bliss Whitely
Summary: Nate relays to Sully his fear... and becomes honest about his feelings. All the loveliness of Nate telling Sully exactly what he thinks of him. Some mild language.


**I just discovered this game. I have had it since Christmas and just started mucking about with it a couple weeks ago. I have completed the game twice and I love it! I haven't played the first two yet, but since I loved Uncharted 3 so much, I went and purchased the other two. Now I just have to wait for them to get here! So if there are inconsistencies I am sorry. I will be able to write a bit more indepth character portrayals when I know more about them. But in UC3 I really loved Nate and Sully's relationship. I loved all the characters, even the bad ones. I am so in love with this game right now! :) **

**So forgive the noobishness of this. But I wanted to write a quicky about a moment Nate spills to Sully his worst fear, and a bit of flashback from Sully. Its a father son relationship love in this. And when they are together I just squee! **

Nathan Drake… self proclaimed archeologist. Treasure hunter, reckless and oft times single-minded… brave and tough as a bull. He can withstand most things, most criticisms, let's face it, he gets it a lot from everyone in every direction. He can stand failure… he can stand the bitter sting of realizing he can't do something although that doesn't happen very often. There is one thing he can't stand, one big thing that was always hanging from his heart like a talisman that would utterly destroy him.

He leaned on the table across the room from Victor Sullivan, his head bent a little, his eyes looking down at the stained fabric of his shirt, not wanting to look at Sully at the moment of his perceived weakness. Thank god Elena, Cutter and Chloe aren't here; it would have made this moment all the more uncomfortable. Not that he had a problem showing Sully that he cared for him, both of them knew it, both of them felt the same way. It was a guy thing… his inner machismo.

"I don't know if you should come with me this time, Sully. We have plenty of money. We can go in for that really nice high tech head gear with camera and microphones. You can sit here comfortably with Cutter and Chloe and be with me on screen." Nate said as he looked up at Sully, who was at his bed ; a duffle bag open before him as he slipped some personals into it with an unlit cigar between his teeth. Sully chuckled.

"Kid, we have been through this already. No need to put a number on the many times I have told you that I am not letting you leave me behind. You'd get yourself killed without me."

"It isn't necessary. I can take care of myself." Nate said. His voice was low and sad. He sounded like a child unwilling to let a parent support them with walking or lifting that heavy milk jug… wanting to be independent. Sully stood up from his packing, chuckling a little more with his eyes closed. He pulled the cigar from between his teeth with his right hand index and middle finger as he looked over his shoulder at the younger man.

"What's so funny?" Nate asked.

"I seem to remember something like that coming out of your mouth the first day we met. You said it just like you did when you were fifteen. And my feelings about your ability haven't changed since then." Sully said with a wink and after putting the cigar between his teeth again, he resumed packing. Nate watched him for a few more seconds.

"When I said it before, it was just me being an obstinate bastard. I didn't want to admit I needed help."

There was a loud zipping sound as Sully drew the zipper catch shut and he finally turned completely to face Nate and pulled the cigar from his teeth again.  
"That's not my Nate talking there. You don't usually tell me things like that. You like to be macho… or fool hearty. Both are pretty much the same. But I have been with you for the last twenty years. I won't be cast aside now."

Nate shook his head in denial. He doesn't think Sully knows why he would rather the older man stay behind. He doesn't really think Sully realizes why Nate fears his accompaniment.

"No?" Sully's brows lifted in response to Nate shaking his head.

"I'm not casting you aside." Nate said.

"Good. Because I seem to remember just a couple weeks ago in France you were hell bent on me not acting like I am going to _roll over and die_.' Sully quoted the words with an arch of his index and middle fingers on both hands.

"This is not the point…' Nate said, shaking his head.

"Then what is? Am I too old? Am I not hip enough? You want to go free? What is it? I don't exactly have a collar around your neck, kid. You're an adult, you want to spread your wings and fly, there ain't nothing stopping you." Sully snapped. He was getting a little irritated. He knows he is getting older, he knows that sooner or later he won't be able to do this anymore. But he wasn't ready to give in and didn't want to hear Nate insinuate it.

Nate was quiet for a few moments. A moment that lingered longer than he wanted it too and the only sound they could hear was the cheap wall clock over Sully's bed ticking loudly. Nate's eyes lifted slowly to Sully, who at first looked mildly irritated but it softened when he seen the expression on Nate's face, the sincerity there.

"You have no idea how I feel when I lose you, Sully." Nate said. Sully's face fell into a concerned shadow, the crease between his brows prominent.

"What are you talking about?" Sully asked.

"I have lost you a couple times. Each time it hurt more and more. I can't… you mean so much to me, Sully. "Nate said softly. Sully's eyes lowered and there was a funny expression on his face, like wasn't accustomed to hearing that sort of thing.

"Well… gee, kid. Thanks. It's about time you said it rather than just _showing it_ in your own weird way." Sully smirked. Nate's face didn't change. "You mean a lot to me too, kid." Sully said, realizing that Nate was being serious and any idea he had about their usual talks of snarky remarks and mocking retaliations, all in good humor at least, was not the intent this time. He wasn't a fool. He saw Nate's face… he had seen Nate worry about him and it hurt to think of him in that state… over a man who should have saved him from this life, as Marlow liked to shove in his face over the time she held him captive to find the lost city of Ubar.

*/*/*

_"You touch him… you hurt one hair on his head, Katherine and I swear… god as my witness, I will kill you." Sully said through his teeth. He couldn't see her, his had been blindfolded; his arms tied behind him in the chair he sat as he heard her titter softly, a few gruffer chuckles underlying hers. There was obviously more than one person in the room._

_"Oh Victor… You astonish me. Even back when you and I were together you expressed a deep hatred of children. The very thought of fatherhood angered you. Are you telling me now that this boy is not merely a pet to do your bidding? Have you actually… grown to care for him?" Marlow asked in a snide voice. _

_Sully felt her air about him when she asked, knowing she leaned in as the arms of the chair moved slightly to compensate for her weight, though tiny she was, the chair wasn't. Sully knew what she was up too… it was true, until Nate came around, he didn't like kids and he never wanted to be a father. But when that snooty little brat picked his pocket and reminded him so much of himself when he was that age, he felt something kindle in him that he never knew existed. _

_"Don't pretend you knew me, Katherine. You obviously don't. The only thing you had of me was what I told you and don't think for a moment that I told you everything about me." Sully said angrily. She tittered again and ran her nails over the rough stubble on his chin. _

_"Oh now that's not all I had of you." She said with a smile._

_"Yeah, and it was the worst I ever had. You think you're all that Marlow and you're not. Any woman who strikes a child-' Sully started, angling his head in a direction he could only guess she had gone, for when he snapped back, she moved away from the chair and walked away, wishing to hit him just like she hit that brat twenty years ago… ring his brain between his ears. _

_"You two are quite the pair Mr. Sullivan.' She said quickly and angrily. "Both of you are cocky shits…" She seethed; her face red. _

_"Now it's Mr. Sullivan? What happened to 'Victor'; Marlow? Did I hurt your pride?" He said, and this time he smiled nastily. Next thing he knew he was feeling stinging pain in his cheek and his head was snapped to the side, his cheek and jaw throbbing and hot where Marlow has backhanded him. _

_"Filth!" She spat. He groaned._

_"I guess that means yes…" Sully said under his breath as he moved his jaw around to see if she fractured it. She has a great hand for such a tiny woman. _

_"Let me tell you something… You may pretend to care enough for that boy in an attempt to hide the location of Ubar from me… but it won't work. So you can drop this shit act now. I have other methods of getting this information from you, do I not, Talbot?" She asked a suited man behind her who was watching the events with a sneer on his face._

_"Of course, I have all the technology in the world." He said as a matter of fact._

_"So the monkey in the suit is here too?" Sully said, turning his head in the vague direction of Talbot's voice. "Sorry I don't have any treats for your performance… I can't even see it… I am blindfolded."A hand grabbed his jaw and his head was forced straight._

_"You will pay for this boldness. And before we extract the information from you as easy as taking candy from a baby… I will enlighten you. If you had really cared for that Nathan Drake boy… you would have taken him from this life. You would have taken him from the dangers of death that he throws himself into time and time again. You do not care for him, Mr. Sullivan. All you want is for him to take you to that one big score… and then you will drop him like a bad habit. I wouldn't be surprised if you kill him. So don't pretend you love him… you love him no more than you loved me. You are a habitual liar… and a cheat. Its time your monkey in a suit knows this too." Marlow said and jerked Sully's head away from her. Sully felt a churning anger in his gut._

_"What are you going to do? Hurt him over some damned location? Over treasure? You have all you need in me! You leave him the hell alone!" Sully yelled, his arms straining against the ropes about his wrists. _

_"It's too late. You left me no choice. Besides… I think watching you suffer over the potential harm we inflict on your boy is far more satisfying than just wringing the information out of you. By the time we are done with Nathan… you will be begging to tell me." Marlow yanked the blindfold off Sully's eyes so she could look him in the eyes and he in hers, so they both knew clearly that neither one was remotely joking about their position.  
"Bitch…" Sully seethed. She smirked and walked away from him with a little "I know" on her tongue._

*/*/*

"I know you do… Which is why I can't risk losing you again." Nate said as he brought his hands up, his fingertips touching delicately as he tried to show the point of his feelings. Sully watched him for a moment.

"Kid, you never lost me." He looked down at himself and then back at Nate. "I think I look like I am still here."

"That's not what I mean.' Nate said, waving his hand at the statement. "I watched you die… believed it. I felt my heart ripped out, there were times where the only thing that kept me going was my need to make them pay for taking you from me." Nate said as he stepped closer to Sully and he was grateful that Sully didn't back away. Sully looked him full in the eyes, uncomfortable. It wasn't that he was afraid to hear Nate say this stuff, it was because it was never really said before, and they just sort of had a silent love for one another.

"Kid-'

"Call me Nate… please." Nate asked. "Just for a moment. I need this to be serious."

"Nate… I don't know what else to say other than there will come a time that I will have to leave you. And where I go… no amount of magic… or revenge… will bring me back." Sully said and placed a warm hand on Nate's shoulder. Nate's eyes slowly filled with tears. Something Sully had never actually seen him do before and it made his heart twinge with fear and love.

"Sully…' Nate whispered, bringing his hand to rest on the forearm of the hand that rested on his shoulder. "When we were in Ubar… after I drank that water, it made me see you get shot. There was blood coming out of your chest and you were in my arms bleeding and dying. I had to leave you there, your eyes open, looking at me as if you couldn't understand what happened. For a moment… I longed for one of those bullets to find me and take me with you." Nate said as he swallowed hard.

"That is one journey I don't want you to follow me on, Nate… you will get there on your own time. So as far as I am concerned, you are stuck with me." Sully said. "And when we do meet on the other side, you best have a cigar in hand and a beer." He chuckled again and Nate smiled only slightly.

"I think there'll probably be a surplus of beer and cigars where we're going… anyway, that day won't come for a long time. I'm going to make sure of that. I will hold on to you as long and as tightly as I can." Nate said seriously. Sully's grin faded to neutral.

"We will all have to venture that lonely black road to the abyss." Sully said and shook his head slowly. "Just some of us sooner than others. But I can promise you this." Sully said in a low soft voice, bringing his other hand up on Nate's shoulder and pulling him a bit closer, looking the younger man in the eyes hard and seriously. "When the day comes that you will have to let me go for the final time… it won't be because I walked away from you. I will never… walk away from you."

The tears that filled Nate's eyes finally spilled over and Nate stepped into him, wrapping his arms around his middle and burying his face in Sully's shoulder. Suddenly Sully was transported back twenty years and Nate was the fifteen year old boy again. Sully's arms came around Nate's shoulders and he held the younger man too. Realizing it was more than just a friend thing. Sully is the one man in Nate's life that was something like a father to him, someone he looked up too. Sully leaned his cheek against the side of Nate's head and held him hard.

"I love you, Sully." Nate said into Sully's shoulder.

"I love you too, son." Sully whispered.


End file.
